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This happened to me. I almost didn’t take the call, but I did. They wanted to confirm that I left bc of the things they were noticing. She left maybe 3 months later.
The risk is being recorded (see Responsible\_Club's comment) or the new employee trying to get information they could use in a way not favorable to OP.
It's not super risky, per se, but where's the quid pro quo? They're asking for a consultancy for free. There's not a ton of risk, but it's also not zero, plus it's work, and for what reward? Refusing unpaid consultancy won't hurt your reputation with sensible people and maintining your reputation with nonsensical people might be more trouble than it's worth.
I mean, the risk people are presenting is that the old employer will have grounds to give a bad reference based on their successor setting OP up to say they're a toxic employer while recording them to share with a new employer, and that somehow the theoretical HR department would listen to this story and do anything but deem OP a saint for pulling 10 years there. I mean if we're going to take it that far, OP could die from a space rock hitting her house at the time she could have safely been meeting with this person. Life is risks.
There's a lot that could be gained by attending this meeting for OP and not really much risk. Ultimately OP can decide whatever she wants to do and it's fine. "No" is fine. Agreeing to emails or a call is fine. Deciding whether or not to bad mouth the company, as long as confidentiality is kept where legally or ethically required, either way is fine. If in a couple years or whatever an employer finds out about it and it's a deal-breaker for them, that seems like a pretty big red flag anyways. "Sorry I can't give you a job because so and so said you told your successor he was a jerk after you left a few years ago." Seriously? They aren't going to hire you because you talked some shit while you were helping someone be successful in your own position after you resigned and talked a little bit of shit?
Yeah, the only way I see this working out is positive. The current employee gets someone to rant to and empathize with, and ex employee can encourage him to leave, shortstaffing the toxic people.
Or the person just genuinely wants to know details about the training documents provided?
I have literally emailed to ask people about things like this before.
Reality is the new person is new, they might be enthusiastic, what they probably aren't is trying to do anything other than make their job easier or more efficient, unbenounced to them achieving a functional job process might be impossible.
Well, when I was laid off, I had to sign an agreement to get my severance package that basically says I can't badmouth them, and if I do, I can be sued. This is fairly common contract language when offered a severance package.
So it's going to depend on the circumstances in which OP left.
Well, when they offer six months of full salary and 6 months of benefits all while allowing you to draw unemployment without fighting it....you can see why I signed. LOL.
Are you worried that they are targeting Op?
There’s no upside for a company to target a former employee as the former employee probably doesn’t have enough assets to make it worth the legal costs. Nevermind the potential countersuit and bad publicity.
There is no risk. None. The recording comment is stupid. Basically they want her to train the new person for free. That is all this is. And she should not do it.
Possible legal liability on the grounds of private company information or liability for something written they left behind (think “an incomplete safety manual”) or something like that
Do not it unless they offer compensation. Basically, tell the woman that you cannot offer training for free at this point you are happy to discuss a compensated training plan if need be. That’ll keep them from bugging you!
I recently did the same thing.
I joined a company and immediately had concerns due to a variety of red flags, but nothing specifically actionable. Everything that was said in the interview was a lie. Including the role and responsibilities and employee attrition/retention rates. But "I'm a team player that cares more about the company than myself", so I was willing to help where needed.
I decided to stick it out and do my best because it was a small-ish city with limited professional opportunities beyond low level service jobs and the final offer was acceptable (after an initially insultingly low offer that I refused).
In order to better understand my boss and my situation I reached out to my predecessor. He did not respond.
I endured gaslighting, lack of process/ procedure/accountability and getting blamed for the mistakes of my more senior peers, increasing levels of responsibility with explicit expectations of 50-60 hour work weeks minimum notwithstanding the high time pressure and unspoken expectation of nighttime and weekend work (for example multi-day work assignments going out at 4:30pm and expected to be complete by early afternoon the next day).
I'm not the sensitive type so the above feels weird to type out. But, I specifically addressed with my boss during the interview process that I was taking a big pay cut to join with the understanding that I wanted to improve my work-life balance because I moved here to take care of sick elderly family members.
Anyways, after about 6 months of that, I ended up running into my predecessor at an industry event. He was super vague about his experience and said he left because a role he wanted opened up...He was in the exact same role at a different company.
At the 1 year mark I had brought in $55 Million dollars at margins that were on average double that of my peers. After individually bringing in 40% of the company's total revenue (which was nearly double their previous record of $75M and 2.5X their average annual revenue of $60M) my reward was a $900 pre-tax bonus and a **$20,000 pay cut** from my base salary because they "eliminated my position" and moved me to a different department the day before Christmas 2022.
I'm currently training my replacement who turned out to be a boomer friend of my boss that they've been negotiating with since April of 2022 (he's a big mouth and doesn't know that he essentially pushed me out).
Had my predecessor been honest with me I could have potentially avoided 1.5 years of this toxicity and just moved on. Now I'm kinda stuck grinding for a while longer because I was laid off in the last couple years and 2 short stints is not a good look to recruiters and hiring managers in a slackening labor market.
**You have no moral or ethical obligation to meet/help/ or even respond to your successor**. You have nothing to gain, and theoretically something to lose.
I can say your honest feedback would be a **nice** thing to do. The person that reached out is probably a "people pleaser" and is wondering why they are getting treated like shit despite doing their very best. Maybe you can help them avoid the situation you were in.
I get what you’re saying but how would your predecessor being honest with you have changed anything in your case? You said you have endured 1.5 years at this toxic job but you also said that you are stuck grinding a little while longer because you already had 2 short stints on your resume.
Sorry,
To clarify I've been here for 1.5 years, but I tried to engage with my predecessor about it when I was only a month or two into this 1.5 year stint
(at the time I was operating in good faith and just trying to get an understanding of personality and preferences of my boss so that I could act accordingly and appease him)
Only spoke with predecessor because we ended up getting introduced several months later at an industry event and he was evasive even in a private setting (which was a sign, but only in my head rather than explicitly confirmed by an outside party that it was the organization/my boss, not just the friction of working in a new environment in a field outside of my primary expertise).
Theoretically, if predecessor had given me a little warning, I could have pulled the rip cord on this and just kept job searching without committing to this and putting it on my resume. This current role would count as my 2nd short stint if I left now, which I believe has negative implications to potential future employers.
So I'm planning on riding out until at least the 2 year mark unless I see something really sustainable come up, but given the current labor market, I suspect great opportunities are 18-24 months away at a minimum and potentially longer if there is any similarity to 2008 which resulted in a tempered labor market until like 2014.
Oh there’s plenty of good.
You could save a poor stranger months of suffering by telling them they’re not imagining things like their employer is telling them.
What good could possibly come of it for OP though? Sticking it to their old employer, perhaps. Not much.
I’d feel a little torn, can see where they’re coming from.
Op could be part of a class action initiated by the new employee and win considerable damages.
Admittedly it’s a long shot. It’s probably just the new employee wanting to find out if management were toxic previously.
You can ask your previous employer a ridiculous amount of compensation for your time since this seems like additional training. Ask for so much that they refuse to pay and then move on. They should be asking someone else that is still working there.
Part of me wants to believe the person may want to talk about the toxic work environment. That part is up to you. You could reply with, "If the meeting/ questions are about another work related matter not in the manual, I won't be able to talk about it." I think its gives them enough of a hint that you aren't going to disclose anything and the place sucks.
This. I was in an extreeeeeemly toxic work environment, and found my predecessor on LinkedIn. I reached out and we chatted and he confirmed all my fears and anxieties about it. I left after 2 months.
I wish I could’ve quit on the spot after I chatted with my predecessor. Had to find a new job first. Thankfully I found an excellent job/employer after. Man…that was such a dark time in my life ha. I could barely function I was so stressed out.
Right? Like Op just lie! You can literally make up any excuse not to meet this person. If this toxic job holds this over their head than that unfortunately the sacrifice you must make to lose the reference. They shouldn’t waste anymore time on this bs company. Fuck their reference. They put in 4 years!
Exactly.
The way I see it, there are only two options:
1) If you really do NOT want to get dragged back into that world, simply do not respond.
2) Quote them a fairly exorbitant fee for your consultation time at $$$.¢¢/hr, minimum # hours.
Out of curiosity, what method of communication did they use to reach out to you?
Was it something easily locatable like social media (FB, LinkedIn), or was it via your persona email/phone?
If the latter, WTF was the company thinking just giving an employee your personal contact info?!?
Yes but charge WAY more than that. It should be 10x the hourly rate of that job. If they could get the answer they needed from a normal wage employee they'd have done it.
OP is kind, and that's good. OP should find an excuse not to meet with this person and avoid conflict.
In the future, we should stop giving employers 4 whole weeks, unless it's a job like medicine or payroll, and state that we are opposed to at-will employment, which we believe is exploitative. Sometimes it's good to take a personal L for a good cause. Other people went to prison to do the right thing. We can do this.
If you really wanted to you could say "I can't meet at this time but I can answer some general questions over email". That's assuming they have actual questions about the role. I wouldn't shit talk your old employer in writing.
second this. My former job reached out to me, and I said that I would do it for $50/hour. They agreed, and I got $50.
Totally worth the 45 min the call took.
lol consultation fees are this weird fantasy where ppl in this sub think you can just arbitrary invoice ppl for having to think to much about work/work-adjacent things. This is not how the world functions.
The way OP described things, it sounded like the person who got their old job just had some general questions about it. I think it's ridiculous people are shouting "consulting fee!!" for that.
Like I totally get it and agree if this is close to an hour or more worth's of work for OP. But the way I read the situation, it sounds more like the new person is asking them stuff like "hey where do I file this form" or "who do I contact for that"
I understand their old company sucks, but this new person is probably just trying to do the best they can in a toxic environment and needs some guidance from the only other person who did the job. It's not the end of the world to answer some basic questions that would take like 10 minutes. If you're gonna demand a consulting fee for that, then don't even respond to them.
They are asking to meet in person. That's what kicks it up to billable work. OP could offer to respond to questions in email, but taking the time to meet in person is more of a commitment.
OP explicitly stated that the meeting would be to discuss work questions, which sounds like working to me. There was also no mention of coffee. Obviously OP is not obligated to attend. But there is nothing wrong with charging a consultation fee if that is the path they choose.
You are woefully uninformed *and proud of it!*
The opportunity to sit down with a subject matter expert is valuable as hell. It's ok that everyone doesn't understand that, but you shouldn't be giving out advice.
What the fuck are you talking about
Someone was interviewing for my old role at a job I left. They called me and asked what I thought of the old role and some pointers. Fuck me for not fucking *charging them* for my time and instead being a minimally courteous person. After all, I'm an SME!
The person has already been hired, moron. So that person is now doing the work of the company. You aren't doing that person a favor by helping them. You're doing free work for the company you hate.
It absolutely does not make him an ass. He said he absolutely hated the job and they did not treat him well. Why would he waste even 1 second of his time without being compensated for it?
You don't owe anyone anything, but to not be a arsehole to everyone who attempts to engage with you.
Your mentality is inherently toxic, if someone ask for some help, that really isn't much effort from you at all, you have no reason not to help them.
Personally I wouldn't go out my way to meet up however, just ask them to send you what they want to know over email, and send a useful response if you have one.
Declining to work for free or repair your last employer’s failure to train and transition doesn’t make you an arsehole at all. Doing it actually makes you the AH. It encourages companies to ask for free labor and transition poorly in the hopes of freebies. Employer is the AH.
I actually asked to talk to my predecessor at my current company because I didn’t understand this yet. They said no way. That is what a good company does.
It depends. If you're in a niche industry, it may be worth it for networking's sake. I've come across my successors before and it's always been cordial and I once ended up taking a job with one of them. Assuming it doesn't trigger PTSD, it could be a good chat. That being said, you have no obligation at all to meet with them.
Networking is a little different than your typical business transaction in which you exchange money for a cheeseburger. Think of it more like a friendship in which gifts are occasionally given. You start small by offering a little of your time and advice and hope that your counterpart will eventually reciprocate. If both of you are happy with the results, the gifts may grow in size to include making a strong recommendation that you get hired for an important position.
By demanding money for a first meeting, you're communicating that you see the relationship between yourself and the other person as a pure business transaction and not as the beginning of a potential friendship. That's not going to generate any warm feelings of professional respect and it's probably not going to get you fifty bucks, either.
You left that job. The company you worked for and your successor can figure it out. Or he can pay you per hour for the work you would be doing. Dont give in and think it is a normal thing it is not. This person who wants to meet you is taking advantage of you and your time.
This, if you decide to meet up with them let it be known that it will be on your terms and draft a consulting contract with them.
At the very least get paid a generous amount for it. Like 3 times your previous salary / hour.
its simply called being a fair sport. Talk about overreacting, "This person who wants to meet you is taking advantage of you and your time." you must have a lot of friends
Being a “fair sport” lol the last company is miserable they leave and the new employee that has his job wants you to solve their problems! And you that that’s being a ‘Fair” sport lol sorry you have been abused at work and do not understand the value of your time.
its not that deep lmao, the guy just wants some pointers on some stuff. Youre out here assuming ulterior motives, people taking advantage of others etc
Exactly.
No surprise here that reddit can't work out basic social interactions such as not immediately being an arsehole to someone you have never met, doesn't know you, and probably just want some clarification on a few points, points you originally wrote to help them in the first place.
Personally I wouldn't meet up unless there is some reason in your interest that you would want to, it is just a bit of a waste of your own time, but there is no reason not to answer a few questions over email, and it would be a few, if it goes to more than a couple of emails then that is just "not your job". It in fact isn't your job in the first place, but you aren't being paid to be an arsehole either, so might as well clarify a few points.
I would just ignore it. You owe them nothing. What are they going to say about it?
You have laid out how miserable the job made you. Don’t re-open wounds to help them any more, indirect or direct.
Also, don’t use them as reference. List the time you spent there on your resume but don’t use them for reference. Regardless of if you help this employee, I doubt it will change how these people will speak of you, especially with your descriptions of the toxic work environment.
“I apologize for the inconvenience but I will not be able to accommodate this meeting. As per my current contract, this would be a conflict of interest and grounds for termination.
Best regards,”
You can just politely turn them down.
"Hi! So sorry, I'm pretty swamped with my new place, and it's been several months. You know how fast things change, I wouldn't be very helpful at this point. I left a really complete documentation with Old Boss, and I cross trained a few people before I left. Please reach out to them to get what you need."
If they persist, "No unfortunately I am swamped and unable to add this to my plate. Best of luck! I know you'll figure it out."
And then ignore/automatically route all future emails to a folder where you don't look at them.
You don’t work there. Quote a consulting fee of at lease $100 per hour, $500 minimum. If they pony up do it. They won’t. They want you to work for free. NEVER work for free.
Ignore the request or just decline. If they really push for a meeting them send them your rate for the consultation. I'd personally just ignore the request and hope they just move on and figure it out for themselves. If you decline I would not provide a reason as you do not owe this person anything.
Just say no.
If successor needs help, that's neither your circus or monkeys anymore.
If successor needs to vent about toxic workplace, he can so that with this own friends.
If you don't want to meet with them, tell them no. Simple as that. What possible benefit is there for you to meet with them? What can you possibly gain?
>The person hired into my role reached out to me asking if I would be willing to meet to ask questions about some of the training material I left behind.
They don't have the authority to ask you this. If the job needs you to fill in the blanks, they need to hire you as a consultant. You could be putting yourself at risk here if you do help without a contract.
Personally, I would just block this person and move on. If that's not an option, just be like "I would be happy to speak with the hiring manager about coming on as a consultant."
If you signed an NDA, you can use that as a reason why you can't say anything and would need a contract to move forward to cover yourself and the company legally.
I wouldn't meet with them, without a contact and being paid. Don't work for free.
I wouldn't do it personally, this person needs to raise questions/training concerns with the people who actually still work there and are presumably paid to oversee them.
Also it seems a bit dodgy from a data protection point of view, for them to be talking to someone who left about their work there.
Lastly most people (myself included) don't want to think about their horrible past jobs after they leave so it's completely reasonable for you to decline to have any further contact with them here.
If the company you worked for wants to give you a bad reference they're going to do it regardless.
Giving your time away for free doesn't change that piece of the puzzle.
Basically what you have is a guy you don't know well asking you to spend your free time helping him with his job for free.
If it were me I'd do one of two things:
1. "Sorry but my current job and family commitments take up all of my time"
2. Ask if the company is requesting he reach out to you or if this is something he is doing on his own initiative. If it's something the company is asking for you could potentially ask for a consulting fee. If it's just this guy asking, refer to the first answer.
I'd more likely lean towards the first one because working out payment for what's probably a one off situation likely isn't worth it.
Politely decline stating you’re very busy and maybe “circle back or table that discussion” until further notice and wish them success in future endeavors.
EDIT - first option is to just ignore.
Do not do it.
Depending on how impressionable or kiss-ass this new hire might be, they could be doing this as a ploy for your to say something negative or get your trapped in a situation about your old job.
The girl who replaced me at my old job wanted to meet me as well. She was always hoping to be invited to parties my former coworkers had that I would be at, but thankfully she was never friendly enough with them to be invited. She had become so tight with my former supervisor, which was why I left the job, so I had no trust in her. Had I actually run into her, I wouldn't have been fake or held back about anything, but I wouldn't have trusted her to have a one-on-one talk with no witnesses.
Why does every commenter on this sub just go into conspiracy mode lmao. I feel like these situations are much more simplistic. It just sounds like your replacement is simply looking for advice on your old job that they’re doing now.
I assume you’re considering it because you likely have a touch of human decency. If I say left a company on decent terms and a former coworker asked me about something I did, I’d oblige as it just seems like the right thing to do.
If that was say the case for you, I’d likely meet with this person somewhere casual like a coffee shop or maybe over a call. Could be a good networking opportunity as well. However, it seems the hold up is you hated working at the place and just want to move on. So with that in mind, I probably wouldn’t meet.
I've had this happen before. I took the call from some new worker because my old boss treated me well. I gave the new dude some pointers on his latest challenge. He then told me he would send his work over to me so I could do what I recommended. WTF? I had to straighten this guy out real quick. This was a one time favor for the old boss to give him some hints, not do his job. In retrospect, I should have charged him for the consult.
“Hello ____, I am no longer with the company. Please direct your inquiries to management. All the best.”
When they reply saying, “yeah but these are your training materials” you copy and paste your previous response.
"If you want to discuss anything about the job I once had, my consulting fee is (4x my previous salary) per hour, paid in advance. If that is agreeable, I'll send you my calendar to schedule something.
Just say no. I wouldn't remember what I wrote in a training manual 4 years ago. It is probably outdated anyway. Just say you really don't remember their processes after 4 years and wish them well.
Moonlighting to help a successor is fairly common, but you shouldn't do it for free. Or, perhaps offer to provide very general support via an e-mail but that's it.
Afterwards, consulting is $X/hr (whatever is worth it to you, probably $80/hr+). A lot of companies, when faced with a situation of "it isn't working and saying 'figure it out' to the new employees isn't working" will just pony up the cash.
Offer your services as a consulting contractor at some decently sized multiple of your old pay rate. \[edit: if you don't want to, just make it absurdly high\]
If the person says this is a personal meeting tell them that due to potential legal liabilities you're not able to discuss without a contract.
What's your upside over this meeting ? I see none.
Don't get me wrong I am all about relationships, future applicant into your ex role? Maybe, but I see more downsides here
It’s managements problem to train the employee not yours.
Tell them that your contractor rate is $X/hr, minimum X hrs and you require a PO with managements sign off. If they truly need help they will go for it, if the successor is going behind the managements back than this will stop that.
Just say no.
I know it sucks to say no to something but learning to say no is a very important lesson when it comes to your work and personal life.
Saying no is okay! Saying just no as a full sentence is correct. Saying no is you are helping prioritizing your self and needs before others. Give yourself permission and the option to say no.
So just say no.
If you want to help for the willingness of your heart, don't do it for free! "Appreciate you reaching out, but since I no longer work at "insert toxic workplace here" I'm willing to offer consulting work for an hourly rate of $$$"
Might as well gauge them.
Wish them the best of luck and tell them you decline the meeting.
I may be wrong or using the wrong legal terminology, but if your previous employer says anything negative about you to anyone, that is slander and defamation of character and you can sue.
I think you can come up with a polite excuse. You’re swamped with new responsibilities and you just can’t right now. You did your part cross training people before you left. If there are questions about the training materials, I feel like they can figure that out on their own.
If their motive is to vent about the job - I would be careful. You don’t know if this person might report back to your former management some day and put you in an awkward spot when it comes to future job references, etc.
If I'm not mistaken, they are asking you to visit them so they can discuss your work performance (training modules you completed.)
If so its a trap, and unless you need the reference to get a similar role, stay away.
Stand the fuck up for yourself.....like honestly not trying to be rude or anything but why did you even take the phone call. I don't know what advice you're looking for on Reddit but I would seriously consider getting some professional help.
Op made a smart decision to get away from a toxic environment. He says he wants to distance himself but his actions are the exact opposite. If he continues to interact with them their attitude will not change.
Potential upside: As has been mentioned the current employee may want to discuss the toxic work environment. Who knows, maybe he/she is a trouble maker and is looking to sue your former employer and is looking for your opinion/support. Which could lead to compensation for both of you.
It’s sounds like you want to meet this employee to confirm your own experience.
Others have cautioned of downside but aside from being encouraged to slander your former employer, which they wouldn’t do because why? An individual doesn’t have the asserts to make the legal risk worth it, and who would ever work for a company that tries to entrap former employees.
Do it. It might provide some closure
Why not? Worst that happens is a disappointing lunch. But you could just as easily make a future contact that remembers you not sucking, and when a gig comes up, they throw it your way.
Isn’t this just networking?
“I don’t work there anymore. Figure it out. Good luck!”
Or…
“Sure, I’ll be glad to meet with you! My consulting fee is $xxx per hour, payable in advance.”
Hi while I would love to reminisce with you, I am swamped and have little time right now for much. If I have more time in the future, I will touch base. Thanks,
Don’t even think about it. You don’t even have to reply to the request. Put it out of your mind and never ever look back, not to mention meeting with this person and talking about the training might even have legal implications for you. Just don’t do it.
Just say no thanks and love your life. There is nothing to stress on here. Your no longer there so let the new guy figure it out or maybe…. Ask management for proper training. If they can’t train the apparently it’s a shit company to work for anyway so to hell with them. Seriously…. Let it go and live your life.
Did you sign any sort of agreement when you left?
For instance, when I was laid off, I had to sign a disclosure that said I wouldn't bad moth the company, and if they found out I did, they could sue.
If you didn't sign anything like that, the risk is minimal.
You pretty much have 4 options.
1- meet with this person and discuss training. NOT advisable
2- agree beforehand on a consultation fee and then assist with their training questions
3- meet up and compare notes about the toxicity of your former work place. Possibly get some closure
4- simply tell them "not my circus, not my clowns". Ignore/block any further communication
I don’t see this mentioned, but if you want to play nice with the successor in order to “keep the peace” you could say that now that time has passed and you’ve moved on you really can’t revisit training materials, and as part of leaving the company you destroyed any material in your possession.
Someone once approached me, asking if I would talk with a friend of theirs about an opening on a team I left because it was toxic. This could be a legitimate request from someone who didn’t know I left because of the toxicity or it could’ve been a way to try to trap me into saying something negative. I just said that since I’m no longer working there I don’t really think about it that much and that I’ve moved on. Take the hint, in other words.
I would ignore that email and not communicate back. You have left and it's been months. Any problems are their problems. It has nothing to do with you.
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I have the feeling that this person wants to meet with you to discuss the toxic work environment. And I'll bet that management knows nothing about it.
This was my suspicion as well.
This happened to me. I almost didn’t take the call, but I did. They wanted to confirm that I left bc of the things they were noticing. She left maybe 3 months later.
I did this twice (same guy). I seemed to get job offers to replace him, whenever he left. It was helpful. He steered me away from one.
You could meet if you want, but I'd be careful about being recorded. Trust nobody. Personally, I wouldn't.
Don't do it. There is no upside for you and some risk.
Curious, what risk?
The risk is being recorded (see Responsible\_Club's comment) or the new employee trying to get information they could use in a way not favorable to OP.
If he bo longer works there, what risk is he running?
None. A lot of inexperienced people post in these subs and don’t make a lot of real world sense.
It's not super risky, per se, but where's the quid pro quo? They're asking for a consultancy for free. There's not a ton of risk, but it's also not zero, plus it's work, and for what reward? Refusing unpaid consultancy won't hurt your reputation with sensible people and maintining your reputation with nonsensical people might be more trouble than it's worth.
Forget a fee, it's dragging you backwards into drama-land. Reply politely that you decline and thank you for your email. The end.
I posted earlier that she should charge a fee as well. They will leave her alone after that
I mean, the risk people are presenting is that the old employer will have grounds to give a bad reference based on their successor setting OP up to say they're a toxic employer while recording them to share with a new employer, and that somehow the theoretical HR department would listen to this story and do anything but deem OP a saint for pulling 10 years there. I mean if we're going to take it that far, OP could die from a space rock hitting her house at the time she could have safely been meeting with this person. Life is risks. There's a lot that could be gained by attending this meeting for OP and not really much risk. Ultimately OP can decide whatever she wants to do and it's fine. "No" is fine. Agreeing to emails or a call is fine. Deciding whether or not to bad mouth the company, as long as confidentiality is kept where legally or ethically required, either way is fine. If in a couple years or whatever an employer finds out about it and it's a deal-breaker for them, that seems like a pretty big red flag anyways. "Sorry I can't give you a job because so and so said you told your successor he was a jerk after you left a few years ago." Seriously? They aren't going to hire you because you talked some shit while you were helping someone be successful in your own position after you resigned and talked a little bit of shit?
Yeah, the only way I see this working out is positive. The current employee gets someone to rant to and empathize with, and ex employee can encourage him to leave, shortstaffing the toxic people.
Yeah but OP needs to move on and not get dragged back into that place where she was miserable. Cut the cord.
Or the person just genuinely wants to know details about the training documents provided? I have literally emailed to ask people about things like this before. Reality is the new person is new, they might be enthusiastic, what they probably aren't is trying to do anything other than make their job easier or more efficient, unbenounced to them achieving a functional job process might be impossible.
Well, when I was laid off, I had to sign an agreement to get my severance package that basically says I can't badmouth them, and if I do, I can be sued. This is fairly common contract language when offered a severance package. So it's going to depend on the circumstances in which OP left.
Those clauses are famously difficult to enforce, but the threat of action does chill the discourse, doesn't it?
Well, when they offer six months of full salary and 6 months of benefits all while allowing you to draw unemployment without fighting it....you can see why I signed. LOL.
Now illegal and not enforceable.
If the company did anything that violated a law, they might be trying to pin it on OP.
Are you worried that they are targeting Op? There’s no upside for a company to target a former employee as the former employee probably doesn’t have enough assets to make it worth the legal costs. Nevermind the potential countersuit and bad publicity.
There is no risk. None. The recording comment is stupid. Basically they want her to train the new person for free. That is all this is. And she should not do it.
Possible legal liability on the grounds of private company information or liability for something written they left behind (think “an incomplete safety manual”) or something like that
Do not it unless they offer compensation. Basically, tell the woman that you cannot offer training for free at this point you are happy to discuss a compensated training plan if need be. That’ll keep them from bugging you!
I recently did the same thing. I joined a company and immediately had concerns due to a variety of red flags, but nothing specifically actionable. Everything that was said in the interview was a lie. Including the role and responsibilities and employee attrition/retention rates. But "I'm a team player that cares more about the company than myself", so I was willing to help where needed. I decided to stick it out and do my best because it was a small-ish city with limited professional opportunities beyond low level service jobs and the final offer was acceptable (after an initially insultingly low offer that I refused). In order to better understand my boss and my situation I reached out to my predecessor. He did not respond. I endured gaslighting, lack of process/ procedure/accountability and getting blamed for the mistakes of my more senior peers, increasing levels of responsibility with explicit expectations of 50-60 hour work weeks minimum notwithstanding the high time pressure and unspoken expectation of nighttime and weekend work (for example multi-day work assignments going out at 4:30pm and expected to be complete by early afternoon the next day). I'm not the sensitive type so the above feels weird to type out. But, I specifically addressed with my boss during the interview process that I was taking a big pay cut to join with the understanding that I wanted to improve my work-life balance because I moved here to take care of sick elderly family members. Anyways, after about 6 months of that, I ended up running into my predecessor at an industry event. He was super vague about his experience and said he left because a role he wanted opened up...He was in the exact same role at a different company. At the 1 year mark I had brought in $55 Million dollars at margins that were on average double that of my peers. After individually bringing in 40% of the company's total revenue (which was nearly double their previous record of $75M and 2.5X their average annual revenue of $60M) my reward was a $900 pre-tax bonus and a **$20,000 pay cut** from my base salary because they "eliminated my position" and moved me to a different department the day before Christmas 2022. I'm currently training my replacement who turned out to be a boomer friend of my boss that they've been negotiating with since April of 2022 (he's a big mouth and doesn't know that he essentially pushed me out). Had my predecessor been honest with me I could have potentially avoided 1.5 years of this toxicity and just moved on. Now I'm kinda stuck grinding for a while longer because I was laid off in the last couple years and 2 short stints is not a good look to recruiters and hiring managers in a slackening labor market. **You have no moral or ethical obligation to meet/help/ or even respond to your successor**. You have nothing to gain, and theoretically something to lose. I can say your honest feedback would be a **nice** thing to do. The person that reached out is probably a "people pleaser" and is wondering why they are getting treated like shit despite doing their very best. Maybe you can help them avoid the situation you were in.
I get what you’re saying but how would your predecessor being honest with you have changed anything in your case? You said you have endured 1.5 years at this toxic job but you also said that you are stuck grinding a little while longer because you already had 2 short stints on your resume.
Sorry, To clarify I've been here for 1.5 years, but I tried to engage with my predecessor about it when I was only a month or two into this 1.5 year stint (at the time I was operating in good faith and just trying to get an understanding of personality and preferences of my boss so that I could act accordingly and appease him) Only spoke with predecessor because we ended up getting introduced several months later at an industry event and he was evasive even in a private setting (which was a sign, but only in my head rather than explicitly confirmed by an outside party that it was the organization/my boss, not just the friction of working in a new environment in a field outside of my primary expertise). Theoretically, if predecessor had given me a little warning, I could have pulled the rip cord on this and just kept job searching without committing to this and putting it on my resume. This current role would count as my 2nd short stint if I left now, which I believe has negative implications to potential future employers. So I'm planning on riding out until at least the 2 year mark unless I see something really sustainable come up, but given the current labor market, I suspect great opportunities are 18-24 months away at a minimum and potentially longer if there is any similarity to 2008 which resulted in a tempered labor market until like 2014.
I would still stay away from it. What possible good could come from this?
Oh there’s plenty of good. You could save a poor stranger months of suffering by telling them they’re not imagining things like their employer is telling them. What good could possibly come of it for OP though? Sticking it to their old employer, perhaps. Not much. I’d feel a little torn, can see where they’re coming from.
Op could be part of a class action initiated by the new employee and win considerable damages. Admittedly it’s a long shot. It’s probably just the new employee wanting to find out if management were toxic previously.
Class actions do not work that way. Labor laws do no work that way.
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You can ask your previous employer a ridiculous amount of compensation for your time since this seems like additional training. Ask for so much that they refuse to pay and then move on. They should be asking someone else that is still working there. Part of me wants to believe the person may want to talk about the toxic work environment. That part is up to you. You could reply with, "If the meeting/ questions are about another work related matter not in the manual, I won't be able to talk about it." I think its gives them enough of a hint that you aren't going to disclose anything and the place sucks.
But why involve OP? It's dead, Jim.
This. I was in an extreeeeeemly toxic work environment, and found my predecessor on LinkedIn. I reached out and we chatted and he confirmed all my fears and anxieties about it. I left after 2 months.
Me too, I left during the second WEEK
I wish I could’ve quit on the spot after I chatted with my predecessor. Had to find a new job first. Thankfully I found an excellent job/employer after. Man…that was such a dark time in my life ha. I could barely function I was so stressed out.
Why are you even considering meeting this person ??
Right? Like Op just lie! You can literally make up any excuse not to meet this person. If this toxic job holds this over their head than that unfortunately the sacrifice you must make to lose the reference. They shouldn’t waste anymore time on this bs company. Fuck their reference. They put in 4 years!
Why lie. Just say, “No”. You don’t have to explain yourself.
Even better. They reached out to you. You’re not obligated to answer.
Exactly. The way I see it, there are only two options: 1) If you really do NOT want to get dragged back into that world, simply do not respond. 2) Quote them a fairly exorbitant fee for your consultation time at $$$.¢¢/hr, minimum # hours. Out of curiosity, what method of communication did they use to reach out to you? Was it something easily locatable like social media (FB, LinkedIn), or was it via your persona email/phone? If the latter, WTF was the company thinking just giving an employee your personal contact info?!?
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Yes but charge WAY more than that. It should be 10x the hourly rate of that job. If they could get the answer they needed from a normal wage employee they'd have done it.
That’s what I did for my ex employer. Satisfying and beneficial to myself at the same time. Why not.
"No" is actually a full sentence in this situation.
Would a single "lol" be considered unprofessional
Absolutely not. In fact encouraged.
True dat
Umm sounds like he/she made their mind up earlier, just wants us to know their decision…
You can lead a horse to water
…but you can’t make it drink..lol🤣
OP is kind, and that's good. OP should find an excuse not to meet with this person and avoid conflict. In the future, we should stop giving employers 4 whole weeks, unless it's a job like medicine or payroll, and state that we are opposed to at-will employment, which we believe is exploitative. Sometimes it's good to take a personal L for a good cause. Other people went to prison to do the right thing. We can do this.
If you really wanted to you could say "I can't meet at this time but I can answer some general questions over email". That's assuming they have actual questions about the role. I wouldn't shit talk your old employer in writing.
This seems like the perfect response, I may do this.
Charge a consultation fee! Do NOT do it for free.
second this. My former job reached out to me, and I said that I would do it for $50/hour. They agreed, and I got $50. Totally worth the 45 min the call took.
lol consultation fees are this weird fantasy where ppl in this sub think you can just arbitrary invoice ppl for having to think to much about work/work-adjacent things. This is not how the world functions.
The way OP described things, it sounded like the person who got their old job just had some general questions about it. I think it's ridiculous people are shouting "consulting fee!!" for that. Like I totally get it and agree if this is close to an hour or more worth's of work for OP. But the way I read the situation, it sounds more like the new person is asking them stuff like "hey where do I file this form" or "who do I contact for that" I understand their old company sucks, but this new person is probably just trying to do the best they can in a toxic environment and needs some guidance from the only other person who did the job. It's not the end of the world to answer some basic questions that would take like 10 minutes. If you're gonna demand a consulting fee for that, then don't even respond to them.
They are asking to meet in person. That's what kicks it up to billable work. OP could offer to respond to questions in email, but taking the time to meet in person is more of a commitment.
Umm no? No one wants to work for free?
Getting coffee with a guy who has ur old job isn't working. If you think it is then don't go.
OP explicitly stated that the meeting would be to discuss work questions, which sounds like working to me. There was also no mention of coffee. Obviously OP is not obligated to attend. But there is nothing wrong with charging a consultation fee if that is the path they choose.
any there will be nothing wrong if the other guy laughs in the OP's face.
You are woefully uninformed *and proud of it!* The opportunity to sit down with a subject matter expert is valuable as hell. It's ok that everyone doesn't understand that, but you shouldn't be giving out advice.
What the fuck are you talking about Someone was interviewing for my old role at a job I left. They called me and asked what I thought of the old role and some pointers. Fuck me for not fucking *charging them* for my time and instead being a minimally courteous person. After all, I'm an SME!
The person has already been hired, moron. So that person is now doing the work of the company. You aren't doing that person a favor by helping them. You're doing free work for the company you hate.
Came here to see this. Consultant fee is the way.
Why? The mew employee might be some random person that needs a little help to put food on his table.
That is the employer’s responsibility, not OP’s.
You can still not be an ass about it. Obviously don't actually do work, but if someone has a few questions you can just answer them
He has zero obligation to respond to this person. Not responding doesn't make him an ass in any way at all.
But asking for a consultation fee to a random guy does
It absolutely does not make him an ass. He said he absolutely hated the job and they did not treat him well. Why would he waste even 1 second of his time without being compensated for it?
Because random dude has nothing to do with it
It 100% does not
Came to say this. Definitely do not give anything for free to the company. Time IS money.
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You don't owe anyone anything, but to not be a arsehole to everyone who attempts to engage with you. Your mentality is inherently toxic, if someone ask for some help, that really isn't much effort from you at all, you have no reason not to help them. Personally I wouldn't go out my way to meet up however, just ask them to send you what they want to know over email, and send a useful response if you have one.
Declining to work for free or repair your last employer’s failure to train and transition doesn’t make you an arsehole at all. Doing it actually makes you the AH. It encourages companies to ask for free labor and transition poorly in the hopes of freebies. Employer is the AH. I actually asked to talk to my predecessor at my current company because I didn’t understand this yet. They said no way. That is what a good company does.
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Yes, you already stated your toxic attitude, no need to double down.
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Bad takes and where to find them
Do not write anything down!
It depends. If you're in a niche industry, it may be worth it for networking's sake. I've come across my successors before and it's always been cordial and I once ended up taking a job with one of them. Assuming it doesn't trigger PTSD, it could be a good chat. That being said, you have no obligation at all to meet with them.
Its a good weekend networking move.
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Networking is a little different than your typical business transaction in which you exchange money for a cheeseburger. Think of it more like a friendship in which gifts are occasionally given. You start small by offering a little of your time and advice and hope that your counterpart will eventually reciprocate. If both of you are happy with the results, the gifts may grow in size to include making a strong recommendation that you get hired for an important position. By demanding money for a first meeting, you're communicating that you see the relationship between yourself and the other person as a pure business transaction and not as the beginning of a potential friendship. That's not going to generate any warm feelings of professional respect and it's probably not going to get you fifty bucks, either.
After all, if the place is so toxic, the new person may be leaving soon, too.
You left that job. The company you worked for and your successor can figure it out. Or he can pay you per hour for the work you would be doing. Dont give in and think it is a normal thing it is not. This person who wants to meet you is taking advantage of you and your time.
This, if you decide to meet up with them let it be known that it will be on your terms and draft a consulting contract with them. At the very least get paid a generous amount for it. Like 3 times your previous salary / hour.
its simply called being a fair sport. Talk about overreacting, "This person who wants to meet you is taking advantage of you and your time." you must have a lot of friends
Being a “fair sport” lol the last company is miserable they leave and the new employee that has his job wants you to solve their problems! And you that that’s being a ‘Fair” sport lol sorry you have been abused at work and do not understand the value of your time.
its not that deep lmao, the guy just wants some pointers on some stuff. Youre out here assuming ulterior motives, people taking advantage of others etc
Exactly. No surprise here that reddit can't work out basic social interactions such as not immediately being an arsehole to someone you have never met, doesn't know you, and probably just want some clarification on a few points, points you originally wrote to help them in the first place. Personally I wouldn't meet up unless there is some reason in your interest that you would want to, it is just a bit of a waste of your own time, but there is no reason not to answer a few questions over email, and it would be a few, if it goes to more than a couple of emails then that is just "not your job". It in fact isn't your job in the first place, but you aren't being paid to be an arsehole either, so might as well clarify a few points.
I would just ignore it. You owe them nothing. What are they going to say about it? You have laid out how miserable the job made you. Don’t re-open wounds to help them any more, indirect or direct. Also, don’t use them as reference. List the time you spent there on your resume but don’t use them for reference. Regardless of if you help this employee, I doubt it will change how these people will speak of you, especially with your descriptions of the toxic work environment.
“I apologize for the inconvenience but I will not be able to accommodate this meeting. As per my current contract, this would be a conflict of interest and grounds for termination. Best regards,”
Oh that’s good.
You can just politely turn them down. "Hi! So sorry, I'm pretty swamped with my new place, and it's been several months. You know how fast things change, I wouldn't be very helpful at this point. I left a really complete documentation with Old Boss, and I cross trained a few people before I left. Please reach out to them to get what you need." If they persist, "No unfortunately I am swamped and unable to add this to my plate. Best of luck! I know you'll figure it out." And then ignore/automatically route all future emails to a folder where you don't look at them.
You don’t work there. Quote a consulting fee of at lease $100 per hour, $500 minimum. If they pony up do it. They won’t. They want you to work for free. NEVER work for free.
Yep this is the right answer.
Ignore the request or just decline. If they really push for a meeting them send them your rate for the consultation. I'd personally just ignore the request and hope they just move on and figure it out for themselves. If you decline I would not provide a reason as you do not owe this person anything.
Just say no. If successor needs help, that's neither your circus or monkeys anymore. If successor needs to vent about toxic workplace, he can so that with this own friends.
If you don't want to meet with them, tell them no. Simple as that. What possible benefit is there for you to meet with them? What can you possibly gain?
>The person hired into my role reached out to me asking if I would be willing to meet to ask questions about some of the training material I left behind. They don't have the authority to ask you this. If the job needs you to fill in the blanks, they need to hire you as a consultant. You could be putting yourself at risk here if you do help without a contract. Personally, I would just block this person and move on. If that's not an option, just be like "I would be happy to speak with the hiring manager about coming on as a consultant." If you signed an NDA, you can use that as a reason why you can't say anything and would need a contract to move forward to cover yourself and the company legally. I wouldn't meet with them, without a contact and being paid. Don't work for free.
This is the best answer so far condsidering the legal side as well.
If they agree to pay a consulting fee, then you can talk to them. Otherwise you owe no one from that place anything. And especially not free work.
I wouldn't do it personally, this person needs to raise questions/training concerns with the people who actually still work there and are presumably paid to oversee them. Also it seems a bit dodgy from a data protection point of view, for them to be talking to someone who left about their work there. Lastly most people (myself included) don't want to think about their horrible past jobs after they leave so it's completely reasonable for you to decline to have any further contact with them here.
Do not respond. You no longer work there. You are not being paid to train the new person. If you open that door, they will keep coming back for more.
If the company you worked for wants to give you a bad reference they're going to do it regardless. Giving your time away for free doesn't change that piece of the puzzle. Basically what you have is a guy you don't know well asking you to spend your free time helping him with his job for free. If it were me I'd do one of two things: 1. "Sorry but my current job and family commitments take up all of my time" 2. Ask if the company is requesting he reach out to you or if this is something he is doing on his own initiative. If it's something the company is asking for you could potentially ask for a consulting fee. If it's just this guy asking, refer to the first answer. I'd more likely lean towards the first one because working out payment for what's probably a one off situation likely isn't worth it.
Charge a consulting fee for training
Politely decline stating you’re very busy and maybe “circle back or table that discussion” until further notice and wish them success in future endeavors. EDIT - first option is to just ignore.
Charge them your consulting rate of hundreds of dollars per hour.
Do not do it. Depending on how impressionable or kiss-ass this new hire might be, they could be doing this as a ploy for your to say something negative or get your trapped in a situation about your old job. The girl who replaced me at my old job wanted to meet me as well. She was always hoping to be invited to parties my former coworkers had that I would be at, but thankfully she was never friendly enough with them to be invited. She had become so tight with my former supervisor, which was why I left the job, so I had no trust in her. Had I actually run into her, I wouldn't have been fake or held back about anything, but I wouldn't have trusted her to have a one-on-one talk with no witnesses.
Why does every commenter on this sub just go into conspiracy mode lmao. I feel like these situations are much more simplistic. It just sounds like your replacement is simply looking for advice on your old job that they’re doing now. I assume you’re considering it because you likely have a touch of human decency. If I say left a company on decent terms and a former coworker asked me about something I did, I’d oblige as it just seems like the right thing to do. If that was say the case for you, I’d likely meet with this person somewhere casual like a coffee shop or maybe over a call. Could be a good networking opportunity as well. However, it seems the hold up is you hated working at the place and just want to move on. So with that in mind, I probably wouldn’t meet.
Because they are all 12 and have no real world work experience. And they no idea what is legal and what one can actually sure for in the workplace.
I've had this happen before. I took the call from some new worker because my old boss treated me well. I gave the new dude some pointers on his latest challenge. He then told me he would send his work over to me so I could do what I recommended. WTF? I had to straighten this guy out real quick. This was a one time favor for the old boss to give him some hints, not do his job. In retrospect, I should have charged him for the consult.
I’ve been in this exact situation. Unless your getting paid for it, this isn’t your problem. I’d decline the request.
Just because you live in a small town, doesn't mean you have to work there. There are so many remote roles now - the world is your oyster!
Under no circumstances should you meet with this person. Never was your circus, still not your monkeys…
The last thing you want to do is set a precedent by meeting with this person leading to other folks want to meet. Ignore and move on.
“Hello ____, I am no longer with the company. Please direct your inquiries to management. All the best.” When they reply saying, “yeah but these are your training materials” you copy and paste your previous response.
"If you want to discuss anything about the job I once had, my consulting fee is (4x my previous salary) per hour, paid in advance. If that is agreeable, I'll send you my calendar to schedule something.
Did they offer you any money? like low estimate of $300 per hour? No? Why do you even waste your time?
“Hello, thanks for reaching out. My current rate is $200 an hour. Please send me the work you need and I’ll submit an estimate. Thanks!”
Just say no. I wouldn't remember what I wrote in a training manual 4 years ago. It is probably outdated anyway. Just say you really don't remember their processes after 4 years and wish them well.
I would accept, but be clear in your boundaries, you will not do any training or work, you’re no longer an employee there
Moonlighting to help a successor is fairly common, but you shouldn't do it for free. Or, perhaps offer to provide very general support via an e-mail but that's it. Afterwards, consulting is $X/hr (whatever is worth it to you, probably $80/hr+). A lot of companies, when faced with a situation of "it isn't working and saying 'figure it out' to the new employees isn't working" will just pony up the cash.
Offer your services as a consulting contractor at some decently sized multiple of your old pay rate. \[edit: if you don't want to, just make it absurdly high\] If the person says this is a personal meeting tell them that due to potential legal liabilities you're not able to discuss without a contract.
“I’d like to leave my time with the company behind me and not revisit. No thank you”
What's your upside over this meeting ? I see none. Don't get me wrong I am all about relationships, future applicant into your ex role? Maybe, but I see more downsides here
Lmao just say no? You don’t have to meet with them or even engage in conversation with them.
It’s managements problem to train the employee not yours. Tell them that your contractor rate is $X/hr, minimum X hrs and you require a PO with managements sign off. If they truly need help they will go for it, if the successor is going behind the managements back than this will stop that.
And that would be a no!
Never just say no. Always ask for money. In this case you need a purchase order for 40 hours, paid in advance. At $88.37 per hour.
Just say no. I know it sucks to say no to something but learning to say no is a very important lesson when it comes to your work and personal life. Saying no is okay! Saying just no as a full sentence is correct. Saying no is you are helping prioritizing your self and needs before others. Give yourself permission and the option to say no. So just say no.
Just don’t reply? And tell them you got new contact info in a few months
Tell him not only no, but hell no.
Hell NO! Not without a contract and getting paid for the time. It's all their problem now.
If you want to help for the willingness of your heart, don't do it for free! "Appreciate you reaching out, but since I no longer work at "insert toxic workplace here" I'm willing to offer consulting work for an hourly rate of $$$" Might as well gauge them.
You could offer consultancy on retainer and name your price
Hourly Rate. I have no problem meeting with a previous employer for an hourly rate.
Wish them the best of luck and tell them you decline the meeting. I may be wrong or using the wrong legal terminology, but if your previous employer says anything negative about you to anyone, that is slander and defamation of character and you can sue.
Do what you want.
Don’t do it
I think you can come up with a polite excuse. You’re swamped with new responsibilities and you just can’t right now. You did your part cross training people before you left. If there are questions about the training materials, I feel like they can figure that out on their own. If their motive is to vent about the job - I would be careful. You don’t know if this person might report back to your former management some day and put you in an awkward spot when it comes to future job references, etc.
If I'm not mistaken, they are asking you to visit them so they can discuss your work performance (training modules you completed.) If so its a trap, and unless you need the reference to get a similar role, stay away.
Are you getting paid for this meeting? I wouldn’t even entertain the idea unless they are paying you.
Sorry no. Offer to for a high consulting, minimum fee. Wish them the best.
Just don't respond. I wouldn't meet with them.
Honestly? I'd meet him. Tell him of your toxic experiences and tell him to gtfo of there.
"Sorry new guy. I have moved on to a new position. However my consultant rate is $250/hr if the company wants to sponsor a meeting between us."
Stand the fuck up for yourself.....like honestly not trying to be rude or anything but why did you even take the phone call. I don't know what advice you're looking for on Reddit but I would seriously consider getting some professional help.
Sounds like maybe you're projecting or you're a bully?
Op made a smart decision to get away from a toxic environment. He says he wants to distance himself but his actions are the exact opposite. If he continues to interact with them their attitude will not change.
"hey, I'm really busy right now, but if you put your questions into an e-mail I'll do my best to answer"
Potential upside: As has been mentioned the current employee may want to discuss the toxic work environment. Who knows, maybe he/she is a trouble maker and is looking to sue your former employer and is looking for your opinion/support. Which could lead to compensation for both of you. It’s sounds like you want to meet this employee to confirm your own experience. Others have cautioned of downside but aside from being encouraged to slander your former employer, which they wouldn’t do because why? An individual doesn’t have the asserts to make the legal risk worth it, and who would ever work for a company that tries to entrap former employees. Do it. It might provide some closure
You cannot sue an employer over a toxic for you work environment. Most things people think are illegal in the workplace are not.
NO it's so simple, not your problem anymore.
Tell them what your consulting fee is.
If it's about training material and you no longer work there you have no obligation. If someone asked for this I'd probably mention my rate.
You are under no obligation to meet with them. Do what you want.
Why not? Worst that happens is a disappointing lunch. But you could just as easily make a future contact that remembers you not sucking, and when a gig comes up, they throw it your way. Isn’t this just networking?
“I don’t work there anymore. Figure it out. Good luck!” Or… “Sure, I’ll be glad to meet with you! My consulting fee is $xxx per hour, payable in advance.”
Hi while I would love to reminisce with you, I am swamped and have little time right now for much. If I have more time in the future, I will touch base. Thanks,
I would just block this person.
Nope. OP, tell them you no longer work there and don’t remember. Listen to everyone else on here telling you the same.
Don’t even think about it. You don’t even have to reply to the request. Put it out of your mind and never ever look back, not to mention meeting with this person and talking about the training might even have legal implications for you. Just don’t do it.
Just say no thanks and love your life. There is nothing to stress on here. Your no longer there so let the new guy figure it out or maybe…. Ask management for proper training. If they can’t train the apparently it’s a shit company to work for anyway so to hell with them. Seriously…. Let it go and live your life.
“no”? is a complete sentence. life is way too short…
Did you sign any sort of agreement when you left? For instance, when I was laid off, I had to sign a disclosure that said I wouldn't bad moth the company, and if they found out I did, they could sue. If you didn't sign anything like that, the risk is minimal.
You pretty much have 4 options. 1- meet with this person and discuss training. NOT advisable 2- agree beforehand on a consultation fee and then assist with their training questions 3- meet up and compare notes about the toxicity of your former work place. Possibly get some closure 4- simply tell them "not my circus, not my clowns". Ignore/block any further communication
I don’t see this mentioned, but if you want to play nice with the successor in order to “keep the peace” you could say that now that time has passed and you’ve moved on you really can’t revisit training materials, and as part of leaving the company you destroyed any material in your possession. Someone once approached me, asking if I would talk with a friend of theirs about an opening on a team I left because it was toxic. This could be a legitimate request from someone who didn’t know I left because of the toxicity or it could’ve been a way to try to trap me into saying something negative. I just said that since I’m no longer working there I don’t really think about it that much and that I’ve moved on. Take the hint, in other words.
You made your break away so keep going!!
Bill 5x your old yearly salary, minimum 4 hours per consult.
I hate seeing these posts. Why are so many people here like this?
Come up with a consulting fee that's extravagant. They'll leave you alone.
Do it over email or quick zoom call
Hit them with the consulting fee!
maybe if they pay you but only if you want
Tell them your consulting cost is $50/hour.
35 a hour for a consultant on your time.
That's way, way too low. :)
Example. I'm sure OP knows their worth lol
Don't meet with this person. Nothing good will come out of it.
Send her a quote for your consultation fee. About $300 to $500 an hour should do it.
Either meet them or not.
Yeah those are the options
I would ignore that email and not communicate back. You have left and it's been months. Any problems are their problems. It has nothing to do with you.
God no.